Mensch – Tiek’s CEO Kfir Gavrieli
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Shoes and Service
Kfir Gavrieli, CEO of Tieks, supports nonprofits focused on women’s empowerment, antisemitism, Jewish community security and Jewish life.
By Debra Eckerling
Kfir Gavrieli is the co-founder and CEO of Tieks, the Los Angeles-based brand behind the popular foldable Italian leather ballet flats. Gavrieli built Tieks as one of the first direct-to-consumer, online-native brands, but also as a platform for doing good.
“Tieks began with a simple problem: Women were asked to choose between beautiful shoes and comfortable shoes; rarely both,” Gavrieli says. “I wanted to solve that tension with a flat that moved the way real life moves.
“We are obsessed over materials and engineering — supple Italian leather, a split sole that folds yet supports, details you feel after hour eight, not just minute one,” he says. “From day one, we built Tieks as direct-to-consumer so we could talk to our customers, learn fast, and channel that community into something bigger than a product.”
Through the Gavrieli Foundation, Tieks has become the largest individual lender on Kiva, an organization that expands financial access to underserved communities. Tieks has also mobilized community action for crisis relief, from the #SewTogether PPE effort during COVID to fundraising for Ukraine and Israel. Recent campaigns include Tieks for the Los Angeles wildfires and Tieks for North Carolina flood recovery.
“From the start, I wanted Tieks to be a vehicle for service as much as a shoe company,” Gavrieli says. “We hard-wired giving into the business so the impact would scale with growth. That led to our long-standing Kiva partnership — now over $10 million in microloans to women entrepreneurs — and to our numerous rapid-response campaigns when communities are in crisis.”
What are some of the ways the Gavrieli Foundation helps and supports women? What are some of your other philanthropic efforts and philosophies?
The Gavrieli Foundation’s North Star is women’s economic empowerment. Through Kiva, we’ve funded more than $10 million in micro loans to more than 55,000 women in over 70 countries. Beyond micro finance, we mobilize our community for urgent needs: #SewTogether (masks and medical-grade PPE during COVID), a virtual auction supporting Ukrainian refugees via World Central Kitchen, fundraising for Israeli hospitals and victims after the October 7 attacks, recent drives for L.A. wildfire relief and North Carolina flood recovery, and our ongoing efforts to combat the surge in antisemitism.
Our philosophy is simple: act quickly, transparently, and where leverage is highest.
How did you get started supporting Kiva?
We started with Kiva in Tieks’ earliest days, when Facebook pages were just taking off. We ran a simple campaign: For every new follower of our page, we would lend $1 on Kiva. The community response was explosive. For a stretch, we became the fastest-growing fashion page in the world. That momentum introduced thousands of people to mi cro-lending and jump-started our partnership with Kiva.
What is it about supporting female entrepreneurs, especially across the globe, that’s so fulfilling?
Supporting women entrepreneurs is uniquely powerful. A small, well-timed loan can unlock a business, and when women grow enterprises, the gains ripple to families and entire communities — kids stay in school longer, households have more stability, and local jobs follow. Loans also preserve dignity. They’re a vote of confidence, not a handout, and as capital is repaid and re-lent, the impact compounds. For me, that alignment — agency, sustainability and real outcomes — makes this work deeply fulfilling.
What other philanthropic work are you involved in outside of Tieks?
I serve on the boards of the Impact Forum and the Israeli-American Council (IAC). Through the Impact Forum, I work with leaders who pool resources to back high-leverage initiatives — strengthening Jewish life, combating antisemitism and advancing Israel’s security and resilience. At the IAC, I focus on building a vibrant Israeli-American community: supporting education and leadership programs, community security, and cultural initiatives that connect the next generation to Israel and Jewish identity.
How has philanthropy enriched your life?
It keeps the work human. We get to support women entrepreneurs in developing countries who turn a $200 loan into a livelihood, and I’ve watched our community rally — sewing masks, bidding to fund relief, donating for fires and floods — when timing mattered most. Seeing resources turn into dignity and resilience gives our whole team a shared purpose.
When was the first time you participated in Tzedakah?
Growing up, tzedakah was woven into daily life: pushke coins as a kid, meals for neighbors, giving time. That rhythm made giving an obligation, not an extracurricular activity.
Can you share your first significant donation, whether it was by donating your time or financially?
Professionally, the first major step was committing Tieks to sustained lending on Kiva through the Gavrieli Foundation, moving from one-off gifts to a permanent engine for impact. Later during COVID, we retooled operations and partnered with volunteers to get PPE to facilities in need, and we ended up sending over one million masks. That really opened my eyes to the kind of impact the Tieks community could have when it comes together in shared purpose.
What are simple ways anyone can give back or participate in Tikkun Olam?
Start small and be consistent. Lend or donate small amounts to someone in need. Set a modest recurring gift to one local nonprofit or shul. Volunteer your professional skills where small teams can’t hire that expertise. And tie giving to your routines — Shabbat, paycheck cycles or product launches — so it becomes part of who you are.
Who inspires you?
I’m inspired first and foremost by my mom, who is the most selfless person I’ve ever known. It’s truly beyond comprehension to me and everyone who knows her. I’m also inspired by the women we lend to, people who build businesses under real constraints, who change trajectories for their families and communities.
I’m also inspired by our Tieks community’s generosity, from #Sew Together to our Ukraine, Israel, antisemitism, L.A. wildfire and North Carolina flood efforts.
What is your favorite Jewish meal?
Friday-night challah with family. Close second would be “burekas pinukim” filled with pickles, hummus, tahini, fried eggplant and egg!
Anything you want to add?
Judaism gives us a clear framework: tzedek (justice), tzedakah (obligation), areivut (mutual responsibility). Business can honor those values. If what we build helps even a small circle to live with more security and opportunity, that’s a win worth pursuing daily.
